…for the love of play!

All the necessary preparations have been completed. You happily see you have plenty of water on hand, snacks, more un-perishable food then you think you need, flashlights (you get the picture)…and the storm hits!!! Power goes out and everyone panics at the lack of TV.

STOP PANICKING WE CAN STILL HAVE FUN!

While we don’t want to downplay the significant danger a storm may posses, we also would like to point out that it is still possible to be safe and have fun. Would you like some game ideas? GREAT!

Idea # 1 Hide n’ Seek.

It’s a traditional game for a reason, because it has stood the test of time. Now if we want to amp it up a bit for the storm; turn off all of the lights and play by the lightening or that dim stormy light that is great mood lighting for this game. Don’t be afraid to mix up this game.

#2 Indoor volleyball

Because we don’t want to break the trillion dollar antique vase or other valuables in the home this is a slightly altered version save the house. Everyone gets down on their hands and knees but with their bellies facing up. They then kick the ball between the two sides with their feet-it is a lot harder then you think! Set up the dividing line however you want.

#3 Treasure hunt

Create a list of objects in your house for the child to find. Have them race against the clock to find these items. We would like to encourage you to include silly or unusual items on the list as well.

#4 Ghosts in the Graveyard

Any volunteers to be the ‘watcher’? Great now everyone else is a ‘ghost’. The whole point of this game is to sneak up on the watcher. The ghosts sneak up on the watcher by moving when his/her eyes are closed or they glance the other direction. If the ghost is caught moving they must return to their ‘grave’ or are out.

#5 The James Bond

This was a unique idea we ran across earlier and all ages love it. Grab some string and alternating between two walls (the walls of a hallway are superb for this) string it back and forth, also going up and down. Now pretend those are lasers and you are the dashing secret agent that must get through without touching them.

#6 Build a fort

Anything can be used to build a fort. Chairs and blankets are the best, but your resourcefulness and your child’s will be put to the test! Once you create the fort it is the ideal place to do some reading (we love to see kids read) or even have a mini in-house sleepover.

More: There is always charades, twister, card/bored games, and many other games to play.

With these great games what child would worry about a storm? We don’t want the kids worried, so pull one of these games out and take their minds off the gloomy outdoors.

We, Knucklebones, are doing everything in our power to succeed in our vision of providing children (infants to age 6) in Greater Boston with an Epicenter of Athletic Services (1 in every 5 children will be overweight or obese before the age of 6).

Two weeks ago we pitched the idea to Piranha Pond (www.piranhapond.com) and we received a couple bites. Last week, we submitted our vision to Chase’s “Mission: Small Business” grant application. Chase and LivingSocial want to help a small business’s success by awarding up to 12 grants of $250,000 to 12 small businesses.

With this funding we could open in multiple locations (Back Bay, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Charlestown, Lexington, Somerville, Quincy, etc. Our aim is to better support Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign by establishing our vision wherever a population of children exists that can use an exceptionally healthy and socially fulfilling play space/toy store that will also feature evening talks by authors/celebrities/educators/health professions on healthy living.

Want to see Knucklebones’ vision of an Epicenter of Athletic Services succeed? Then please click https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com to place your vote for “Knucklebones”. Thank you in advance for your support…for the love of play!

At KB, we love our Strider running bikes – they’re an awesome stepping stone just before your child is ready for training wheels, and a great way to familiarize them with bicycles – so we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share this great event with you Knuckleheads.

If you happen to find yourself near Rapid City, SD next week, the 8th annual ‘Extreme Indoor Enduro’ will be taking place at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. You can enter your toddlers to race their Strider bikes around an awesome dirt course much like the ones professional motocross racers use (of course, scaled down to Strider size). Of course, if you can’t be there, don’t worry, you can catch this event of SPEED TV, January 21st!

While it isn’t local, don’t think for a second that it didn’t start cranking the gears in the KB teammates heads! Who says you won’t be seeing something like this at our Epicenter in Cambridge sometime soon? You never know!

So, you’ve renewed your gym membership and thrown out all of that junk food in the house – maybe even polished off the last of the holiday cookies – all for that favorite New Years resloution: live healthier, exercise more.

But exercising can be a real pain if you aren’t enjoying yourself. So try exercising the KB way this year. Do what you love! If you don’t like running – don’t run! Try biking or rollerblading or hiking (or even hopping a mile on a Rody, that’s sure to give your quads a workout).

Maybe even get involved in a team sport. Check at that gym you just joined, maybe you’ll find your talent in basketball, or water polo. See what activities you can find around town – take an aerobics class at the Rec. center, or try your hand at Yoga (its ok, contortionist experience: not (always) required)

Whatever it is, make sure you’re having fun. You won’t get 100% out of your workout if you’re not committed, and how can you commit to something that you dread! So start exploring and find out what makes you excited to get up and play.

LIve healthier, exercise more, and enjoy ever second of it. That’s the KB new years resolution!